Hyundai Motor Company is convinced that the future of powertrains is hydrogen, not battery electric vehicles. To help promote their stance, and help others see that hydrogen is the way to go, Hyundai has enlisted the help of K-Pop supergroup BTS.
The company produced a five-minute film starring BTS and the pro-hydrogen messaging that made its world debut last night in Times Square one the billboard at the Marriott Marquis hotel. The film was screened recurrently for an hour between 7-8 p.m.
The film consisted of the seven members of BTS using hand-written messages to describe the beauty of Mother Nature and the importance of preserving and protecting the environment.
Some of the imagery brought forth included forests, sky, snow, and waves.
That messaging was shown alongside the Hyundai Nexo, the automaker’s hydrogen-powered SUV, which emits water vapor from its tailpipe instead of pollutants. The powertrain of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles don’t require the level of highly pollutant mining that is required to produce battery electric vehicles like the Tesla Model X.
“With this captivating film, Hyundai Motor highlights its dedication to sustainable mobility and eco-friendly lifestyles,” said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor. “We encourage our customers, fans and people around the world to take inspiration from the film to live in harmony with nature.”
BTS had previously been named Hyundai Global Brand Ambassadors. As part of their ongoing partnership with the brand, they arrived at the Grammy Awards on January 26 in a Nexo. They’ve also starred in a campaign for the Hyundai Palisade.
The power of hydrogen has started to become more of a talking point within the automotive industry. Toyota is also a big proponent of the fuel and has promised to built a 145-acre prototype city that runs on the gas a the base of Mt. Fuji. The Japanese company recently debuted the second generation of their Mirai sedan, which runs exclusively on hydrogen power.
Nikola, a new vehicle manufacturer, recently debuted its hydrogen-powered pickup truck designed in tandem with Heavy D from the “Diesel Brothers” TV show, the Nikola Badger.
Starting February 26, seven different clips from the five-minute film – each featuring a BTS member and a special message about the environment – will be uploaded on Hyundai Motor’s social media platforms: @hyundai.lifestyle for Instagram and @hyundaiworldwide for YouTube.
Until the end of April, fans can also upload their own pictures about protecting nature on their individual Instagram accounts with hashtags #MyCleanNature and #BecauseofYou, for a chance to win various offers and prizes. More information about the campaign is available on the company’s website: www.hyundai.com/worldwide.
